MORGANTOWN — West Virginia left tackle Yodny Cajuste plans to skip the Camping World Bowl, joining the list of college upperclassmen getting a jumpstart on their NFL offseason training.
After an injury-riddled career with the Mountaineers, the fifth-year senior projects to be selected in the top three rounds of the NFL draft.
Recently chosen as the Big 12 lineman of the year, Cajuste announced his decision via Twitter on Friday: “I have decided to not play in the bowl game this year in order to go prepare for the next chapter in my life, thank you to my coaches and all of mountaineer nation. Forever grateful.”
West Virginia quarterback Will Grier has yet to confirm if he’ll play against Syracuse in the Dec. 28 bowl game.
A lightly recruited two-star prospect coming out of Miramar High in 2014, Cajuste made a wise decision to give up basketball for the offensive line.
He started the first six games of his redshirt freshman season before a toe injury sidelined him for six weeks. Cajuste returned for a few snaps as a blocking tight end in the Cactus Bowl, which remains the only postseason action of his time at WVU.
Cajuste suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the 2016 opener against Missouri before returning in 2017 to earn second-team All-Big 12 honors. Even then he missed the Heart of Dallas Bowl with a hamstring injury.
Kelby Wickline, who filled in at left tackle when Cajuste was ejected at Texas, could become a starter in the bowl game.
